1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium cartridge loading device, and, in particular, to a recording medium cartridge device which is applied to a magneto-optical disk apparatus, a floppy disk apparatus, and a video tape recorder, and in which, by a force of inserting a recording medium cartridge, a holder at first moves horizontally, then, moves downwardly, and the recording medium cartridge is loaded in a predetermined position.
A magneto-optical disk apparatus, a floppy disk apparatus, a video tape recorder and so forth include recording medium cartridge loading devices for loading a cartridge containing a disk or tape in a predetermined position.
It is required that a recording medium cartridge loading device positively performs loading of a cartridge, and also, smoothly removes a loaded cartridge.
The present invention also relates to a disk cartridge loading device, and, in particular, to a disk cartridge loading device in which, by a movement of a sliding member which slides as a disk cartridge is inserted into a holder, the holder is moved from a cartridge insertion and ejection position to a cartridge loaded position.
2. Description of Related Art
FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B show an outline of a cartridge loading device 10 in an example of related art disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.1-45148.
In the outline, the cartridge loading device includes a base 11, a holder 12 and an ejection member 13.
The holder 12 is supported above the base 11 so that, by pins 14, 15 and guiding cut-out portions 16, 17, the holder 12 at first moves in a Y1 (horizontal) direction, and then, moves in a Z2 (downward) direction.
The ejection member 13 is provided to the base 11 movably in the Y1 direction. The ejection member 13 has oblique cams 18 and 19 which stand. As shown in FIG. 2B, the cams 18 and 19 are positioned near a side wall of the holder 12.
A tension coil spring 20 is obliquely provided between the holder 12 and the base 11 and is hooked on the holder 12 and the base 11.
When a cartridge 30 is, as shown in FIG. 2A, inserted into the holder 12 which is positioned at a cartridge insertion and ejection position, the holder 12 moves as a result of being pressed by the cartridge 30. By the pins 14, 15 and guiding cut-out portions 16, 17, each being approximately L shaped, the holder 12 at first moves in the Y1 direction, and then, moves in the Z2 direction by the force of the tension coil spring 20. The holder 12 reaches a cartridge loaded position shown in FIG. 3A together with the cartridge 30, and the cartridge is loaded.
In the state shown in FIG. 3A, when the ejection member 13 is pushed in the Y1 direction, the oblique cams 18, 19 push up the pins 14, 15, and the holder 12 is caused to move in a Z1 (upward) direction. Then, the holder 12 is caused to move in a Y2 direction by the force of the tension coil spring 20, and reaches the cartridge insertion and ejection position, and, the cartridge 30 may be removed.
As shown in FIG. 2A, in the cartridge loading device 10, the force F1 which causes the holder 12 to move in the Z2 direction and the force F2 which causes the holder 12 to move in the Y2 direction are the Z2-direction component and Y2-direction component of the spring force F of the tension coil spring 20, respectively.
The angle of the tension coil spring 20 does not change remarkably when the holder 12 moves. Therefore, efficiency of obtaining the forces F1 and F2 from the spring force F of the tension coil spring 20 is not good. Thereby, movement of the holder 12 when the movement direction is changed from the Y1 direction to the Z2 direction, that is, starting of the Z2 direction movement of the holder 12, may not be performed smoothly. In order for the holder 12 to perform the starting of the Z2 movement smoothly, the spring force F of the tension coil spring 20 is large.
However, because the spring force F of the tension coil spring 20 is large, the speed at which the holder 12 moves in the Z2 direction is high so that the disk contained in the cartridge 30 is strongly hit by the magnetic heads of the disk apparatus. Thereby, the magnetic heads may be damaged.
Further, because the spring force F of the tension coil spring 20 is large, the force required for moving the holder 12 in the Z1 (upward) direction is large. In addition, a large force is required for pushing and moving the ejecting member 13 in the Y1 direction.
Further, the tension coil springs 20 are provided outwardly on both sides of the cartridge loading device 10 as shown in FIG. 2B. Thus, the tension coil springs 20 project to both sides of the cartridge loading device 10 as shown in the figure. Thereby, the width W1 of the cartridge loading device 10 is large. This is disadvantageous for miniaturization of the cartridge loading device 10.
Further, a disk cartridge loading device for loading a disk cartridge which contains a flexible magnetic disk includes a holder into which the disk cartridge is inserted and a slider, acting as a sliding member, which slides by a disk cartridge inserting operation and moves the holder from a cartridge insertion and ejection position to a cartridge loaded position.
A force is applied to the slider in one direction by a coil spring or the like and is prevented from moving by a latch lever. When the disk cartridge is inserted, a latch lever is pushed by an end of the disk cartridge and rotates, and the prevention of moving of the slider by the latch lever is released. Thereby, the slider slides in the above-mentioned direction in which the force is applied to the slider, and the holder is caused to move to the cartridge loaded position. At this time, the holder falls from the cartridge insertion and ejection position to the cartridge loaded position, and thereby, the disk in the disk cartridge is caused to be chucked onto the turntable of the disk apparatus.
The loading operation of the holder is performed by the spring force of a coil spring, which force is also used to apply power to the slider. This coil spring is pulled to be longest when the holder is at the cartridge insertion and ejection position. When the holder falls to the cartridge loaded position, the slider slides and the length of the coil spring is shortened. In order to obtain a sufficient holding force by the coil spring when the holder is at the cartridge loaded position, the spring force of the coil spring is large. As a result, the spring force of the coil spring when the holder is at the cartridge insertion and ejection position is considerably strong.
However, the slider is accelerated by the strong spring force from the cartridge insertion beginning to the cartridge loading. Therefore, when the slider reaches the sliding completion position, the disk in the disk cartridge is hit by the magnetic heads of the disk apparatus so strongly that the disk surfaces may be damaged.
In order to decelerate the sliding motion of the slider, a damper is provided. As such a type of a damper, there is an oil damper which includes a gear which engages with a rack provided on the slider, a rotation body which rotates together with the gear, and a container which is filled with grease and contains the rotation body. In the oil damper, when the rotation body rotates in the container as a result of the sliding motion of slider, by the viscous drag of the grease, a deceleration effect occurs. As a result, the sliding motion of the slider is decelerated.
In such an oil damper, to obtain the sufficient deceleration effect, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the rotation body. As a result, a space required for providing the oil damper increases. Such an oil damper should be provided at a position such that the oil damper may not disturb the loading operation of the holder. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a space for the oil damper in the rear of the holder.
Thus, such an oil damper required a large space, and therefore, miniaturization of the disk apparatus is difficult. Further, such an oil damper is expensive.
Further, the viscosity of the oil of such an oil damper depends on temperature. Accordingly, in low temperature, the viscous drag is so large that it may not be possible to positively load the disk. In high temperature, the viscous drag is so small that the loading operation force may be so strong that the disk may be damaged.